1. Field of the Invention
This invention is in the field of piezoelectric transducers having piezoelectric cylinders isolated from a support matrix by a gas and, more particularly, a multi-layer arrangement of such piezoelectric transducers.
2. Description of Related Art
Transducers are devices that transform input signals into output signals of a different form. In ultrasound devices, they transform signals of electrical energy into acoustic energy or produce electrical signals from absorbed sound waves. In the fields of non-destructive testing of materials, biomedical, non-invasive diagnostics, and ultrasonic power generation, it is highly desired that the source (transmitter) of ultrasound, that is, the transducer device, be characterized by high transduction in the medium of transmission. It is further desired that the receiver of ultrasound be very sensitive to detect ultrasonic vibrations, irrespective of the medium or the mechanism by which they are generated.
Therefore, it is necessary to develop a piezoelectric device that is characterized by transduction efficiency higher than that produced according to the current art. Any such developments may also result in enhancing other acoustic characteristics of the transducers, such as the resonant frequency.